H.—3

8

No. 3. Mr. Warden Whitehoen to the Undee Seceetaey for Gold Fields. Report on the Gold Fields of the Province of Marlborough, for the Year ended 31st March, 1875. Pelorus. —I have very little change to report in this district; the number of miners has very slightly decreased during the year, the present number being forty men, all of whom have found remunerative employment. The chief feature of interest is the persevering efforts of the prospecting party mentioned in my last report. They have devoted themselves very steadily to the work, and constructed a tunnel in a gully where a considerable quantity of quartz gold had been obtained, and it was thought a reef existed ; but, after driving into the hill a distance of about 180 feet, they abandoned that part, and have been since December prospecting near Deep Creek, the chief centre of population, and, I am happy to say, their perseverance has been rewarded by the discovery of a reef which is goldbearing ; but whether it contains the precious metal in payable quantities, has yet to be determined. The men are sanguine as to its value; and from the large quantity of gold which has been obtained in its immediate vicinity, there is every reason to believe it will be good. No new works have been undertaken in alluvial mining, the small population finding sufficient to occupy them in and about the old workings; and the terraces still remain for the most part unworked, and in many cases untouched. Wairau. —Mining at Onamalutu, in this district, has been resumed, with favourable results ; about forty men are now employed here, but chiefly on private land. A reef has also been found which is gold-bearing, but which has not been tested as yet. Tho prospects obtained by the finders are sufficient to induce them to apply for a prospecting claim, and they are of opinion it will yield not less than 10 dwts. per ton. This reef is on private land. A large proportion of tho Onamalutu being private property militates greatly against its being properly worked. I have not been able to ascertain the earnings of the miners here, but I have reason to believe they are a high average. Queen Charlotte Sound. —During the past year nothing has been done in this district. I am credibly informed that a considerable number of reefs are known to exist in the district, but nothing will be done to test them probably until the result of the working of the Turner and Port Gore Companies' Claims, at Ravenscliff, is more thoroughly known. Ravenscliff. —The workings on this small gold field are now confined to the two companies (the Turner and Port Gore Companies), who have amalgamated their claims, and are going on steadily crushing, but have, during the year, suffered from a rather large share of the vicissitudes ordinarily attending mining; but, notwithstanding that, about 1,130 tons of stone have been crushed, yielding 700 oz. of gold. An average of about 17 dwts. is the result per ton at the close of the year—value, £3 17s. 10|d. per ounce. A continuance of these results, which there appears every reason to anticipate, cannot fail eventually to be very profitable, and be a means of inducing others to develop the reefs now known to exist elsewhere. One other company (the Queen Charlotte) have made considerable preparatory works, but at present nothing is being done. I think it is fair to conclude that the mining interests in this province have, on the whole, somewhat improved during the past year—certainly not in any great degree, but an improvement, however slight, is encouraging; and I trust I shall not be considered too sanguine in saying that, from the general indications, I believe that in the future there will be large numbers of miners again employed remuneratively on the gold fields of this province. W. Whitehoen, The Under Secretary for Gold Fields, Wellington. Warden.

NELSON. No. 4. Mr. Warden Guinness to the Undee Seceetaey for Gold Fields. 84b,— Warden's Office, Collingwood, 20th April, 1875. I have the honor to forward you herewith the returns required by you, filled in as accurately as circumstances permit. I have but little matter to report upon for the past twelve months, so far as gold mining in this district is concerned. Fewer persons aro mining now than at the beginning of the year; still lam of opinion that very little, if any, decrease has taken place in the amount of gold produced. There are still some good claims being worked, which have for some time been the principal sources whence the gold of this district has come. Many men have ceased prospecting, or, in diggers' parlance, " fossicking," and are now more profitably employed at work with the Parapara Iron and Coal Company. The commencement of this company's operations is perhaps tho most important event which has occurred in this district for years, and should the works contemplated by them be successfully carried out, I feel sure that a great alteration will soon be seen in the prospects of this comparatively unknown, though not unimportant place. The natural resources of Collingwood are many and varied, and for one industry, i.e. the production of iron, the district possesses extraordinary capabilities, having practically inexhaustible deposits of hematite, one of the most valuable iron ores, besides coal and limestone, necessary for the reduction of the ore, close at hand—indeed, one may say, alongside the ore itself. When to these resources are

MARLBOROUGH.